So it’s the Jubilee celebrations in the UK this weekend.
The nation staged one of its biggest displays of royal pomp and ceremony, and as with other such events in the past, it was all carried out with great precision.
I looked up the word Jubilee and its meaning and this is what I found:
- A time or season for rejoicing
- A special anniversary, esp a 25th or 50th one
- RC Church a specially appointed period, now ordinarily every 25th year, in which special indulgences are granted
- Old Testament a year that was to be observed every 50th year, during which Hebrew slaves were to be liberated, alienated property was to be restored, etc
- A less common word for jubilation
I had always regarded a jubilee event as one holding a special significance, e.g. a silver jubilee.
The first definition has no such mention; it is just a time for celebration. I did a little more digging around and came across the following quote:
“Life is one long jubilee.” – Ira Gershwin
How often do we hold back on celebrations, waiting for a special moment before we rejoice? Perhaps we need to be celebrating our lives ALL of the time?
Life has good times and not so good times. Regardless of which time we are in, there is a wonder to living that is easily forgotten in the act of making a living. In these times of cutbacks on spending, the government speaking about austerity, and world financial markets in turmoil, we can forget the simple pleasures that do not require much except our attention. We get so caught up in making a living that we actually forget to just live, and to celebrate.
Go on then, take a break. Celebrate. You’re alive.